Stilt



Dec. 11, 1934. c. E. COLLINS 1,984,114

' STILT Filed Aug. 7, 1933 INVEIYTO-R BY 5.80%

Zflm ADM Jfik A TTORINEY patented Eco. 11, 1934 I I N I UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE STILT Charles E. Collins, Kansas City} Mo. Application August 7, 1933, Serial No. 684,008 8 Claims. (01. 272- 701) My invention relates to improvements in stilts. adjusted position by a set screw -.6 fitted in a It relates to a stilt of the type having a leg and a threaded hole in the under side of the block 2 and foot support for the operator vertically adjustbearing against the portion 3. A look nut 7 on able on said leg, the screw 6 bears against the block 2 and holds One of the objects of my invention is the provithe screw from loosening.

sion of novel resilient means for supporting the Extending under and bearing against the porleg of the sti1t, tion '3 is an end portion 8 of the foot. This por- A further object of my invention is the provition assists in supporting the portion 3. By sion of a novel support for the foot of the operaspringing the portions 3 and 8 apart, the block 2 tor, and which can beeasily and quickly vertically may be applied to or removed from the portion 3. adjusted on the leg through the intermediacy of For supporting the foot of the operator, there the operators foot while the stilt is in use. is provided a foot support comprising a plate hav- Still another object of my invention is the proing an inclined portion 9 having a hole 10 through vision of novel means for yieldingly holding the which the leg portion 1 extends. Said plate at foot support from upward movement during the one side of the leg portion 1 has a horizontal pori=5 usual operation of the stilt in walking. tion 11 adapted to support the foot of the opera- Anotherobject of my invention is the provision tor of the stilt. Said portion 11 has attached to of a stilt of the kind described, which is simple, its under side a U shaped spring the arms 12 of cheap to make, easily operated, durable, not likewhich have respectively on their inner sides conly to get out of order, and which eliminates jar cave seat portions 13 adapted to respectively reand is comfortable when operated. leasably grip opposite sides of the leg portion 1 to The novel features of my invention are herehold the portion 11 from upward swinging in the inafter fully described and claimed. operation of walking.

In the accompanying drawing which illustrates For gripping the leg portion 1, there are promy invention, vided two gripping members 14 and 15, which Fig. 1 is a side elevation, partly broken away, are respectively disposed at opposite sides of the of my improved stilt. w leg portion 1, and each of which pivotally en- Fig, 2 is another side elevation of the same gages the inclined portion 9, the latter having taken at right angles to the view shown in Fig. l, at opposite sides of the hole 10, in which said part of the leg being broken away. members 14 and 15 are disposed, two pointed Fig. 3 is an enlarged top view of the stilt, partly projections 16 which respectively enter and are broken away. loosely fitted in recesses provided in the adjacent Fig. 4 is an enlarged view, similar to Fig. 3, with sides of the members 14 and 15, Fig. 3, said reother parts omitted and parts broken away. cesses being designated 1'7.

Fig. 5 is an enlarged section on the line 5-5 When downward pressure is exerted against of Fig. 3. the platen portion 11 by the operators foot, the

Fig. 6 is a reduced side elevation of a portion of members 14 and 15 will grippingly engage the the stilt, showing the foot support raised and releg portion 1. The upwardly lifting of the plate leased from gripping action on the leg. portion 11 will release the leg portion 1 from the Similar characters of reference designate simigripping action of the members 14 and 15, so 40 lar parts in the diiferent views. that the operator may raise or lower the foot 1 designates a vertical, tubular portion prefsupport on the leg portion, as he may desire. erably, of the leg of the stilt, the portion 1 having In order that the operator may lift the portion fastened to its lower end a block 2 having there- 11 for such adjustment, an arcuate strap is disthrough a transverse slot in which is longitudiposed above and has its ends fastened to the nally slidably adjustable a horizontal resilient portion 11, said strap being designated by 18. portion 3 of the foot of the stilt. Said foot is pref- This strap is adapted to embrace the upper side erably formed of a strip of resilient metal, such of the operators shoe, as shown in dotted lines as spring steel or spring brass having an arcuate in Fig. 1. portion 4, provided at its under side with an arc- To normally hold the portion 11 from being uate tread to which is fastened an exteriorly upwardly lifted during the operation of walking roughened strip of yielding material 5, preferably on the stilt, the spring U shaped member 12 is soft rubber, which holds the foot from slipping provided, as has been described. in the walking operation. By loosening the set screw 6, the leg may be The portion 3 is held from movement from its adjusted lengthwise of the horizontal portion 3,

which portion is disposed in a chord of the arc of the tread of the arcuate portion 4 of the foot of the stilt. By adjusting the leg from the middle toward one end of the portion 3, the resilient action is reduced, and the device is adapted for a heavier person.

When the operator, while walking desires to raise or lower the foot support, he will raise his foot against the strap 18 with suflicient pressure to swing upwardly the portion 11 against the holding efiect of the U shaped spring 12. When this is eiTected, as shown in Fig. 6, the operator may with his foot raise or lower the foot support. Upon adjusting the foot support to the desired position, the operator presses downwardly on the portion 11, thus moving the latter down- 'wardly so as to effect a gripping action or the members 14 and 15 upon the leg portion 1. This swinging downwardly of the portion 11 will again engage the spring 12 with the leg portion 1, as shown in Figs. 2, 4 and 5. The stilt may then be used in the usual manner for walking.

By pivoting the leg gripping members 14 and 15 to the portion 9 of the foot support, and providing the members with gripping surfaces of substantial area, said surfaces will lie flatwise against the leg, when downward pressure is exerted on the portion 11 of the foot support, thereby avoiding liability of the gripping members indenting or marring the leg, when the latter is clamped thereby.

I do not limit my invention to the structure shown and described, as many modifications, within the scope of the appended claims, may be made without departing from the spirit of my invention.

What I claim is:

1. A stilt having a leg, a foot support movable upwardly and downwardly relative thereto, and two gripping members pivoted to said foot support and disposed respectively at opposite sides of said leg and having gripping surfaces of substantial area which lockingly grip said leg when said foot support is swung downwardly, and which are released from said leg when said foot support is swung upwardly relatively to said leg.

2. A stilt having a leg, a foot support movable upwardly and downwardly relatively thereto, two gripping members pivoted to said foot support and disposed respectively at opposite sides of said leg and having gripping surfaces of substantial area which lockingly grip said leg when said foot support is swung downwardly, and which are released therefrom when said foot support is swung upwardly, and means normally yieldingly holding said foot support in the gripping position.

3. A stilt having a leg, 2. foot support movable upwardly and downwardly relatively thereto, two gripping members pivoted to said foot support on horizontal axes and disposed respectively at opposite sides of and adapted to lockingly grip said leg when said foot support is swung downwardly, and releasable from said leg when the foot support is upwardly swung, and a spring fastened to said foot support and having means, when the latter is swung downwardly to the leg locking position to releasably embrace opposite sides of said leg for holding the foot support in the locking position, said spring being released from holding engagement with said leg upon a predetermined force being exerted upon said foot support tending to swing the latter upwardly.

4. A stilt having a leg, and provided with a foot having an arcuate tread portion and a horizontal portion extending from one end of said arcuate portion toward the other end thereof, said leg having its lower end portion adjustable lengthwise of and provided with means for being rigidly attached to said horizontal portion.

5. A stilt having a foot provided with an arcuate tread portion, and a resilient horizontal por tion between the ends of said tread portion, and a leg having its lower end portion rigidly fastened to and supported by said resilient horizontal portion.

6. A stilt having a resilient bow shaped foot having resilient horizontal portions extending toward each other from the ends of the bow, one of said portions resting upon the other, and a leg adapted to support the Weight or" the user and having its lower end portion adjustable lengthwise of the upper one of said horizontal portions and having means for being rigidly fastened thereto in the position to which it is adjusted thereon.

7. A stilt having a foot comprising a strip of resilient material provided with an arcuate portion and a horizontal portion extending from one end of said arcuate portion toward the other end thereof, and a leg adapted to support the weight of the user and fastened rigidly to said horizontal portion.

8. A stilt having a foot comprising a strip of resilient material having an arcuate tread portion and a horizontal portion extending from one end of said arcuate portion toward the other end thereof, and a leg adapted to support the weight of the user and adjustable on and lengthwise of and having means for being rigidly fastened to said horizontal portion.

CHARLES E. COLLINS. 

